Region 7 - FY16 State Wildlife Grants Program - Open to State Fish and Game Agency Only | F16AS00103

Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00103

The Region 7 FY16 State Wildlife Grants Program (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00103) is a mandatory grant offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.634) to support state-level wildlife conservation work. It is specifically limited to eligible state government applicants, which in practice means a State fish and game agency (and comparable agencies in the District of Columbia, U.S. Commonwealths, and U.S. territories). The program is designed to provide federal funds for developing and carrying out broad wildlife conservation efforts that benefit wildlife and their habitats, with an explicit emphasis on species that are not traditionally supported through hunting or fishing programs.

The grant supports two main types of work: planning and implementation. Planning activities must directly contribute to creating, updating, or modifying the applicant's existing Wildlife Action Plan, and that Plan must be approved by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In other words, planning dollars are meant to strengthen the state’s formal, service-approved conservation roadmap rather than fund unrelated studies or general agency operations. Implementation activities, by contrast, cover on-the-ground or programmatic actions that the state intends to carry out specifically to execute its approved Wildlife Action Plan, tying proposed projects back to established priorities and strategies within that plan.

A key expectation of the program is that states focus their use of funds on "species of greatest conservation need." Funding decisions and project prioritization should also reflect the broader funding landscape, meaning states are encouraged to consider whether certain species or habitats are underfunded elsewhere and to use these federal dollars where they will fill important gaps. The overall intent is to direct resources toward the most pressing conservation needs and to ensure that limited funds produce meaningful outcomes for at-risk wildlife and the habitats they depend on.

The opportunity also draws clear boundaries around what will not be funded. Wildlife education and law enforcement are generally ineligible under this program. The only exception is when an education or law enforcement element is minor or incidental and is truly critical to the success of an otherwise eligible conservation project. This keeps the program centered on conservation planning and direct implementation rather than broader public outreach campaigns or enforcement initiatives.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on February 9, 2016, and listed an original closing date of August 31, 2017. The listed award ceiling is $4,000,000. The posting shows "Expected Awards: 0," which often indicates that awards are determined by formula, allocation, or internal distribution processes rather than a competitive estimate of how many grants will be issued. Additional program details are available through the State Wildlife Grants program webpage maintained by the Service, and applicants without internet access are directed to request information by mail through the agency point of contact referenced in the opportunity’s Agency Contacts section.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Region 7 - FY16 State Wildlife Grants Program - Open to State Fish and Game Agency Only" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.634.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-02-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F16AS00103

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